To reduce hours further or not?

[Metalgoddess]

I work 3 x 7.5 hr shifts per week as a nurse and due back from maternity leave in July. I really would love to be a SAHM ( I have a 6 yr old and 7 mth old) and could financially do this but it would be a stretch and I would risk losing my registration and have to do a return to practise course. So I've resigned myself to returning to work and we are lucky enough to have the childrens grandparents o provide childcare otherwise the costs/ shift patterns would make it almost impossible. However I do feel guilty having grandparents who are not getting any younger and have some health problems providing the care.

So do I ask work if I can do 2x 7.5 hr shifts per week( we are not allowed to do longer shifts unless they are extra to contracted hrs) to make things a bit easier for everyone and take the salary cut or do I stick to my 3 shifts and enjoy the extra money it brings to the family? I also worry that if I reduce my hours I won't ever get them back and this has implications for my pension contributions. However at least I can always do extra bank shifts if needed, am I over thinking this, should I just live for the moment and do what's best for now?!

I would base it on how you feel when you are at work. Do you desperately want to be at home? Is it worth the extra money to you, and is it important for you to have time out or would you,be totally not bothered about giving up?

And have you spoken to your parents to see how they feel?

I would probably stick to it, it seems like quite a good system, and having less money is hard!!!!

I've gone back at 24 hours a week and do them in 13 hour shifts. I love to be a SAHM or even take on a less stressful job. I think Go back, reduce your hours, at least you've got your safety net if having your registration still. Although I'd quite happily give mine away, if its not for you quit and bank nurse ;) good luck and hope you settle back quickly xxx

Thanks for replies, I'm so undecided, I go from thinking I'm not going to return at all to working 3 days to going to 2 days lol. Work might not even let me reduce further although I suspect I've got a good chance. I'm just not career minded anymore at all, ideally i would give it up for a few years ( hopefully having a 3rd and final baby)! then return but I guess it's not so easy and I also feel very lucky in that I've got a job that I don't hate and that is part time which pays quite well. Dilemmas, hate them!

Could you ask to work one day at the weekend so that your partner could do the childcare and reduce the need for grandparents to have them. From my own experience I have found that I ended up feeling guilty asking my parents to have the children for more than one day , especially when they are babies and toddlers and need a lot of care. I went back to nursing two days a week and now do three, but the shifts have always involved nights and weekends. I was lucky to find a flexible childminder who would have the children for a few hours if I ahd worked a nightshift or just an afternoon if I was on a late.

We are not allowed to ask to work one set day or at the weekend for example or permanent nights, our shifts have no pattern at all, I can do a late followed by an early then a night shift etc. it would be great of we could as like you say it would reduce the pressure on my parents but not possible. However I do work some weekends so I guess it helps still.